A mechanic died Saturday morning in an accident at a Union County coal mine.
The Cabinet for Energy and Environment issued a statement saying 48-year old Lester Daugherty, Jr. of Sturgis was a mechanic with 16 years of experience and experienced injuries that would prove fatal while working in the 16,000-foot-deep River View Mine in Waverly.
He began his shift at 11 p.m. and was performing maintenance on a continuous miner at the time of his death.
The Kentucky Department for Natural Resources, Division of Mine Safety, sent investigators to the mine early Saturday morning, following the accident. All mining operations were shut down during the site inspection and remained closed Saturday.
Governor Andy Beshear said, “We are deeply saddened today to learn of the passing of Mr. Daugherty Jr. We join everyone across Kentucky who offer their prayers and support for his family, friends and community as they mourn his untimely loss.”
Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Goodman said, “We are investigating this accident and will to do everything that we can to understand how this happened and prevent such future loss of life among miners.”